
Black plate (7,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Windshield Washer
{WARNING:
In freezing weather, do not use the washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking your
vision.
J(Washer Fluid):Press and release this paddle,
located at the top of the turn signal/multifunction lever,
to spray washer fluid on the windshield. The wipers will
clear the windshield and either stop or return to the
preset speed. For more washer cycles, press and hold
the paddle.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
40 km/h (25 mph) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. Cruise control does not work at speeds
below about 40 km/h (25 mph).
{WARNING:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
cannot drive safely at a steady speed. So, do not
use the cruise control on winding roads or in
heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire traction
can cause excessive wheel slip, and you could
lose control. Do not use cruise control on slippery
roads.
If your vehicle has the Traction Control System (TCS)
and the cruise control is on, TCS will begin to limit
wheel spin and the cruise control automatically turns off.
See Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 5‑6.
When road conditions allow you to safely use it again,
the cruise control can be turned back on.
4-7

Black plate (11,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Wiper Activated Headlamps
This feature activates the headlamps and parking lamps
after the windshield wipers are turned on and have
completed eight wipe cycles within four minutes.
When the ignition is turned to LOCK/OFF, the
wiper-activated headlamps immediately turn off. The
wiper-activated headlamps also turn off if the windshield
wipers are turned off.
Headlamps on Reminder
If you leave the exterior lamp buttons for the headlamps
or parking lamps on, remove the key from the ignition
and open the driver's door, you will hear a continuous
warning chime. The chime will turn off when the lamps
are turned off.
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running lamps are required on
all vehicles first sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel monitors
the exterior light level for the operation of DRL, so be
sure it is not covered.The DRL system makes the low-beam headlamps turn
on at reduced brightness in daylight when the following
conditions are met:
.The engine is running.
.The exterior lamp button for the headlamps is off.
When the DRL are on, only the low-beam headlamps
will be on. The parking lamps, taillamps, sidemarker
and other lamps will not be on.
When it is dark enough outside, the low-beam
headlamps will come on. The other lamps that turn on
with the headlamps will also turn on. When it is bright
enough outside, the regular lamps will go off, and the
low-beam headlamps change to the reduced brightness
of DRL.
To turn off all exterior lighting at night when the vehicle
is parked, turn the exterior lamp control to the off
position. See Exterior Lamps
on page 4‑10for more
information.
The regular headlamp system should be turned on
when needed.
4-11

Black plate (13,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
To prepare your vehicle for a long trip, consider having
it serviced by your dealer before departing.
Things to check on your own include:
.Windshield Washer Fluid:Reservoir full? Windows
clean —inside and outside?
.Wiper Blades: In good shape?
.Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: All levels checked?
.Lamps:Do they all work and are lenses clean?
.Tires:Are treads good? Are tires inflated to
recommended pressure?
.Weather and Maps: Safe to travel? Have
up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to your surroundings
while driving. If you become tired or sleepy, find a safe
place to park your vehicle and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving —scan the road ahead
and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and vehicle instruments
often.
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Black plate (1,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
California Proposition 65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Gasoline Octane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Gasoline Specifications (U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
California Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-11
Checking Things Under the Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-12
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-14
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-18
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-22
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-23
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-24
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-27 Engine Coolant (4.6L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-28
Engine Coolant (3.9L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-31
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-35
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-37
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-37
Windshield Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-38
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-39
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-42
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-44
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-49
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and Sidemarker Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-52
Taillamps and Back-Up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-54
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-55
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-55
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . .6-55
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-57
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-58
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-61
Inflation - Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-64
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-65
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-66
6-1

Black plate (2,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Tire Inspection and Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-70
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-71
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-72
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-74
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-75
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-76
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-76
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-78
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-78
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-80
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit Storage . . . . . . 6-87
Changing a Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-88
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-89
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing theSpare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-90
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools . . . . . . . . . 6-96
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-97
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Interior Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-98
Fabric/Carpet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-99
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-100
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other Plastic Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101
Care of Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101 Weatherstrips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-101
Washing Your Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-102
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-102
Finish Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-102
Windshield and Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-103
Aluminum or Chrome-Plated Wheels
and Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-104
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-105
Sheet Metal Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-105
Finish Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-105
Underbody Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-105
Chemical Paint Spotting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-106
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-106
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . 6-106
Service Parts Identification Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-107
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-107
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-107
Power Windows and Other Power Options . . . 6-107
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-108
Underhood Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-108
Rear Underseat Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-110
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-116
6-2

Black plate (55,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
7. Push the bulb socket in and turn it clockwise tosecure it.
8. Put the trunk trim and three fasteners back into place.
License Plate Lamp
To replace one of these bulbs:
1. Remove the license plate.
2. Reach up through the opening above the license plate to access the two license plate lamps.
3. Turn the socket counterclockwise to remove.
4. Grasp the bulb in the socket and pull straight out.
5. Push the bulb straight into the socket until it clicks to secure it.
6. Push the socket in and turn it clockwise to secure it.
7. Reinstall the license plate in its original location.
Replacement Bulbs
Exterior Lamps Bulb Number
Back-up Lamp 921LL
Sidemarker, License Plate Lamp,
and Auxiliary Taillamp 194LL
Stoplamp, Taillamp, and Turn
Signal Lamp 3057K
For replacement bulbs not listed here, contact your
dealer.
Windshield Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected for wear
or cracking. See
Scheduled Maintenance on page 7‑3.
It is a good idea to clean or replace the wiper blade
assembly on a regular basis or when worn. For
proper windshield wiper blade length and type, see
Maintenance Replacement Parts on page 7‑10.
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Black plate (56,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
To replace the wiper blade assembly:1. Turn the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY with the engine off.
2. Pull the windshield wiper assembly away from the windshield.
3. Squeeze the tabs on each side of the wiper bladeassembly and slide the assembly off the end of the
wiper arm.
4. Replace the blade assembly with a new one.
Allowing the wiper blade arm to touch the
windshield when no wiper blade is installed could
damage the windshield. Any damage that occurs
would not be covered by your warranty. Do not
allow the wiper blade arm to touch the windshield.
5. Repeat the steps for the other wiper.
6-56

Black plate (103,1)Buick Lucerne Owner Manual - 2011
Foreign materials such as calcium chloride and other
salts, ice melting agents, road oil and tar, tree sap, bird
droppings, chemicals from industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage the vehicle's finish if they remain on painted
surfaces. Wash the vehicle as soon as possible.
If necessary, use non-abrasive cleaners that are
marked safe for painted surfaces to remove foreign
matter.
Exterior painted surfaces are subject to aging, weather
and chemical fallout that can take their toll over a period
of years. To help keep the paint finish looking new, keep
the vehicle garaged or covered whenever possible.
Protecting Exterior Bright Metal Parts
Bright metal parts should be cleaned regularly to keep
their luster. Washing with water is all that is usually
needed. However, chrome polish may be used on
chrome or stainless steel trim, if necessary.
Use special care with aluminum trim. To avoid
damaging protective trim, never use auto or
chrome polish, steam or caustic soap to clean
aluminum. A coating of wax, rubbed to high polish,
is recommended for all bright metal parts.
Windshield and Wiper Blades
Clean the outside of the windshield with glass cleaner.
Clean the rubber blades using a lint free cloth or paper
towel soaked with windshield washer fluid or a mild
detergent. Wash the windshield thoroughly when
cleaning the blades. Bugs, road grime, sap, and a
buildup of vehicle wash/wax treatments may cause
wiper streaking. Replace the wiper blades if they are
worn or damaged.
Wipers can be damaged by:
.Extreme dusty conditions
.Sand and salt
.Heat and sun
.Snow and ice, without proper removal
6-103